All sixteen-year-old Kassi Blake wants to do is dance, and stay at home on Earth. Simple wants, really. But when her father’s chosen by NASA to help terraform the red planet, Kassi reluctantly travels with her family to join Mars Colony 1. Mars is a sterile wasteland with no dance academy, and it’s 33.9 million miles away from home and Kassi’s dreams. She learns the excavation team is accepting applications and takes the opportunity to prove that her physical stamina and grit honed from years of ballet can translate into a new dream — success in one of the most challenging fields Mars offers.

Kassi's partner in hunting archaeological treasure is Noah, a former football player and grandson of the habitat’s commander. On their initial dig, they unearth prehistoric cave drawings and pottery emblazoned with a mysterious symbol. Not long after, the habitat’s hull breaches during a freak sandstorm. The sandstorm vanishes as quickly as it began in an eerie green mist, and in its wake, the site of the breach now bears the same symbol as one they found in the cave.

Kassi and Noah race to unravel the mystery of the symbol and discover who — or what — attacked their new home. What they find leads them to one inescapable conclusion. An ancient force has awakened and will kill to shut down Mars Colony 1. The next disaster targets the greenhouse where her mom works, landing her mom and several others in critical condition. Then the habitat's oxygen circulation system fails, sending everyone into a panic. With dwindling food stores and only three days’ supply of air left, Kassi and Noah must face this guardian spirit before it wipes out the entire community.

​Status: Currently Editing the Last 20,000 words of the Initial DraftCheck my Progress:

10,010 / 20000 words. 50% done!

Defying The Darkness

Their sun is going nova. To keep the peace, the law decreed long ago that human interaction is forbidden. Now, a group of teens forge a connection to bring down the system that keeps them from each other.

My dystopian short story, Defying the Darkness, is published in the August 2011 issue of Novelty - Stories and Perspectives, and is a free read available from LuLu.com.

Never Forgotten

Jessa can't get over the death of her best friend. Now her parents want to take her to the Memory Eater store to have his memory removed before her grief kills her. But Jessa doesn't want to forget him...My short story, "Never Forgotten," was an entry for the Memory Eater Anthology. It is not included in the anthology, but it's now part of my writings on Goodreads. The premise for the anthology is an amazing one, so check it out! ​.

​This short story was originally published on author Samantha Mabry's now inactive website, Flash Paranormal Fiction. As part of the Oxford Valley Writer's Exchange event, Enchanting Stories, I read "Unfinished" at the local Barnes and Noble Oxford Valley. Hope you enjoy the cover, and don't forget to check out the story on GoodReads.